The Billionaire's Bought Bride and Instant Mom Chapter 164

Aveline

"Well," I said, crossing my arms and fixing him with my best withering stare, "you certainly look pleased with yourself."

His smirk only widened, and he had the audacity to look even more satisfied. "Best ten million I've ever spent."

I walked closer, close enough to see the amusement dancing in his eyes, and rolled my eyes so hard I probably pulled something. "Do you have any idea what kind of position you've put me in? You just painted a target on my back!"

He shrugged with the kind of casual indifference that made me want to shake him. "Well, I guess that means our relationship just got a lot more... official."

"How dare you!" The words came out sharper than I'd intended. "How dare you use some grand public gesture to tie me to you without asking? Do you have any idea how powerful Sera's father is? And all those men in suits standing with him—they looked like people you definitely don't want as enemies!"

"Oh, they are," Orion said with a laugh that sounded almost delighted. "Every single one of them sits on my board of directors. And after tonight, they're all going to throw their support behind my uncle Devan, who's been trying to push me out for years."

The casual way he delivered this bombshell made my blood pressure spike. Without thinking, I grabbed the lapels of his jacket and gave him a shake.

"Are you completely insane? How many enemies do you have?"

"Apparently quite a few," he said, still grinning like this was all some elaborate joke. "Which is exactly why I need a reliable ally. Someone who's not afraid of a fight and has connections of her own."

I pushed him away, my hands flat against his chest. "I am not getting dragged into your corporate wars!"

That's when his expression shifted, the playful mask dropping away to reveal something more serious underneath. "Aveline, what happened tonight served two purposes. Yes, it made our... association more public than either of us probably wanted. But breaking ties with Charles and his faction? That was always going to happen. It was just a matter of when."

I found myself genuinely curious despite my irritation. "What do you mean?"

His jaw tightened slightly, and for the first time tonight, I saw real anger flicker across his features. "What you witnessed tonight stems from an ongoing power struggle between me and my uncle. The board members have been wavering between supporting me or him, trying to position themselves on the winning side."

He paused, his expression growing darker. "My uncle Devan has been my biggest rival within the company. He's spent thirty years cultivating relationships and building alliances, constantly looking for an opportunity to seize my CEO position."

"And Charles?"

"Charles has always been opportunistic," Orion said, his voice taking on an edge of contempt. "He's been using Ashford Industries to leech resources from our partnerships, playing both sides to see which one benefits him more."

"No wonder he keeps pushing his daughter at you!" I said with disgust. "I hate fathers like that."

"Well, his plan didn't exactly work out," Orion replied with a dry smile, then his expression darkened further. "And Devan? He's willing to sacrifice the entire company's future for his worthless son Dwayne—my cousin who's never worked a legitimate day in his life and thinks business strategy means intimidation and extortion."

At the mention of Dwayne's name, I felt that familiar surge of anger. "That piece of shit."

"Exactly that expression," Orion said, pointing at my face with obvious satisfaction. "That's why I know you understand what we're dealing with. Dwayne is hiding overseas right now, but he's planning to come back. And when he does, I want to make sure he has nothing left to come back to."

I tried to keep my expression neutral, not wanting to give him the satisfaction of knowing how much the idea of taking down Dwayne appealed to me. "Well, it sounds like you're in for some very interesting times. Don't expect me to ride to your rescue."

"Sweetheart," he said with that infuriating grin returning, "my life has been nothing but interesting since the moment I met you. Tonight's just par for the course."

"Don't try to charm your way out of this," I interrupted, but I could feel my resolve weakening slightly. "Look, you might as well come inside and say hello to my grandmother. I can't let her think I'm being rude by keeping you on the doorstep."

But before I'd even finished speaking, Orion was already walking toward my front door with the confident stride of someone who'd been invited instead of grudgingly allowed entry.

"I was hoping you'd say that," he called over his shoulder. "I've been wanting to see how Eleanor is settling into the new place."

I stared after him, momentarily speechless at his presumption. The way he moved through my space like he belonged there, the casual familiarity in his voice when he mentioned my grandmother's name—it was like he'd decided we were already much closer than we actually were.

*Of all the arrogant, presumptuous—*

"You know," I called after him, hurrying to catch up, "most people wait for an actual invitation before just walking into someone's house!"

"Most people," he replied without slowing down, "don't spend ten million dollars on paintings for women they care about."

"That doesn't make me—"

"Details," he said with a wave of his hand as he reached for the front door handle.

I grabbed his wrist before he could open the door. "Orion. I'm serious. Whatever you think happened tonight, whatever you think this changes between us—"

He turned to face me, and suddenly we were standing much closer than I'd realized. Close enough that I could see the flecks of gold in his dark eyes, close enough to catch the faint scent of his cologne mixed with something that was purely him.

"What I think," he said quietly, his voice losing all traces of humor, "is that for the first time in my life, I've found someone worth taking risks for. And I think you felt it too."

The intensity in his voice caught me off guard, and for a moment I forgot how to breathe.

Then he smiled—not the cocky smirk from earlier, but something warmer and more genuine. "But right now, I just want to check on your grandmother. Is that allowed?"

I stared at him for a long moment, trying to figure out how he kept managing to knock me off balance just when I thought I had him figured out.

"Fine," I said finally. "But you're on your best behavior. Grandma Eleanor adores you enough already."